They've already fought their way through the Holy Grail War, and you still call them dragons?

Emiya's eyes widened. "So this mirror world has long existed based on the earth veins. Why do you, Master Yue, know this, but you, Genji, don't?"

Looking at Uesugi Yue's embarrassed expression, Yuan Zhisheng suddenly remembered something and finally spread his hands helplessly, "Well, I think I know... Because the materials in the ancient book library were burned by my father himself on the day he fled."

No wonder he had never heard of any ancient book library in his family. It was probably burned down at that time, and the materials that escaped the disaster by chance were not enough to form a library.

"...Burned?" Emiya wanted to complain but didn't know where to begin. Others escaped to experience life, and if that didn't work out, they could just go home and inherit a multi-billion-dollar fortune. But Master Yue's escape was a genuine one, fearing he might not be doing enough to be asked to return home.

"Pfft... Amazing! You're worthy of being Master Yue!" Charlotte covered her mouth, a suppressed laugh escaping from between her fingers. She madly mocked the old man who had just been nagging her. "Could it be that he burned up all his breath? No way? Don't you even have to leave some tricks for future generations?"

"Yes, they were all burned. I heard from the elders that many of the family's precious and rare books were believed to be lost," Yuan Zhisheng sighed. "I thought it was because of the long history, but I didn't expect that they were all burned by my father himself on the day he fled."

"Wow, cool! It's just like the way a biker gang runs around the streets!" Charlotte clapped her hands and said in a sarcastic tone.

"Cough cough!" Seeing that the focus of the topic was about to fall on criticizing his "great achievements" in the past, Uesugi Yue coughed violently a few times and quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, all I can tell you is this—this damn place does indeed rely on the underground dragon veins to continue to exist. As far as I know, there are monsters in the mirror world, but this is the first time I've heard of the Shadow Servants you mentioned. It must be a distortion caused by the Holy Grail War."

What Uesugi Yue is most worried about now is that something strange has occurred in the Night Food Field, which means that something has sneaked in.

He remembered that the dragon vein that once sustained Yono-no-Horari was built around the skeleton of a god. Later, the skeleton parasitized Susanoo and transformed into the Yamata-no-Orochi, which was then sunk into the deep sea by Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, along with Takama-ga-hara. Since then, Tokyo's dragon vein has been operating on its own, and without care, it's unknown how many more millennia it will survive.

Furthermore, ever since the Night Food Plain was sealed off, no one has been able to freely enter or exit that world of the dead. The only beings who possess absolute freedom in the Night Food Plain, roaming freely as if it were their own backyard, are the "gods."

In the past, the carefree Uesugi Yue would have immediately bought a plane ticket to Lyon, France, packed up, and ridden away. But now, his children were still here.

When Uesugi Yue thought of this, his eyelids half closed, and he vaguely recalled the youthful passion of his youth.

There is no other way. He is over a hundred years old and in the prime of his life. For the sake of his descendants, he has to do it!

So after a brief discussion, at Emiya's suggestion, Uesugi Yue agreed to consider the cooperation invitation from the Holy Church, not to join them, but to persuade them to join -

Anyway, the Holy Grail is about to become a "black cup". How can the Church tolerate the sacred symbol becoming a harbinger of filth? It would be nice to be able to pull those people over to do errands under the pretext of "the glory of God cannot be desecrated".

Gennochi also promised Emiya that he would use the family's power to investigate and collect abnormal events. At the same time, he arranged to use the geological institutions invested by the family to try to search for the entrance to the mirror world through geological exploration data.

Afterwards, several people went their separate ways and returned home, but Gennochi was the only one who stayed and stayed in the church with Uesugi Yue.

"Son, you... aren't coming to talk to me about the Holy Grail War today, are you?" Uesugi Yue silently closed the yellowed pages of the Bible, his old knuckles stroking the wrinkles and bumps on the damaged cover.

"Tell me, what else is there that makes you hesitate and come to me, your biological father, for help? Although so many years have passed, no gift can make up for the child support I owe you, but in terms of life experience, I can at least spare no effort to help you."

"Well, it's really a difficult situation." Yuan Zhisheng's fingers unconsciously gripped the wooden bench's armrest, his knuckles turning white from the strain. "I should make up my mind morally, but after all, she's someone important who's been with me for so long, and I can't get over the emotional hurdle."

"So that's the question, son. You've asked the right person!" Uesugi Yue clapped his hands, his old eyes sharp as knives. "You can't hesitate when it comes to love. You must take the important events in life seriously! You must seize what you should seize, and don't wait until it's too late to regret it!"

"In a word! How many beauties love idiots, and how many idiots don't cherish them? The words are rough but the truth is true!"

"Ah?" Yuan Zhisheng was instantly at a loss for words. "Father, what did you misunderstand? I wanted to talk about my 'father'..."

Gennochi recounted what happened on the night of the summoning last night, and also told him about Tachibana Masamune's "life experience". Uesugi Yue listened to the whole thing, seeming to be lost in thought.

"You said that Tachibana Masamune claimed that his mother was Tachibana Misa, a branch of the Tachibana family?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"Of course that's not right. I don't remember such a person in the Tachibana family."

Chapter 186 Su Enxi Invites Mixed Bathing in Hot Springs

The church suddenly fell into silence.

Two seconds later, Yuan Zhisheng's knuckles gripping the armrest of the bench suddenly tightened, and the sandalwood made a slight cracking sound.

"Tachibana Misa... doesn't exist?"

——He was stunned by the statement suddenly thrown out by Uesugi Yue. Those words were like a sharp knife, piercing his heart fiercely and tearing a bloody crack in the "truth" that he had originally believed in.

Tachibana Masamune—the man he called "Dad"—had just last night eloquently recounted his life story, including his mother, Tachibana Misa. But now, Uesugi Yue simply denied it.

Uesugi Yue's voice, as soft as a whisper, continued to echo beside Minamoto Chisei, yet every word struck Minamoto Chisei's ears like a hammer. "I remember clearly that every family member, especially those from the inner three families, would be recorded in great detail in the genealogy."

"Members of the Inner Three Families are already rare, and the name Ju Weisha has never appeared on any page."

Yuan Zhisheng's pupils contracted violently as he listened, but he still couldn't accept it for a moment. "Then... could it be that the records of the remote branch of the Ju family who married out are missing..."

"Absolutely impossible!" Uesugi Yue said flatly, "Chisheng, you don't know that regardless of whether she is married or not, the family tree will have a clear record! Unless -"

He paused, his voice suddenly lowered, "This Ju Misa has fallen into the 'ghost'... Only such an extreme situation would result in her not being recorded in the family tree!"

"This...! Dad said that Ju Misa's bloodline is thin... The possibility of her falling into depravity is probably not high..." Gen Chisheng's voice gradually lowered.

"If you still find it hard to believe, then let me tell you about the situation before I took office as Kage Emperor. At that time, the three inner families were almost extinct. The Tachibana family had no one left, and the last member of the Minamoto family died before the Meiji Restoration. My father, Uesugi Hideo, was the only male heir of the three inner families, their only hope."

"But until his death, my father was unable to get the women arranged by the family to conceive, so the family traveled all the way to France and took me away from my mother to Japan. So you can imagine how desperate the family was for 'bloodline inheritance' at that time."

"According to the 'life experience' of Tachibana Masamune you mentioned, his age should be not much different from mine. Even if his mother existed at the time, she shouldn't have married far away in Germany. Even if she had a child, the child would have been brought here immediately to continue the Tachibana family's lineage, rather than being left to grow up away from home."

"besides……"

The more Uesugi spoke, the more Genno Chisei felt that his biological father's words were logically consistent, and that Tachibana Masamune's statement contained more and more logical loopholes, until finally... Genno Chisei had to admit that his father was not telling the truth, and he had indeed deceived him.

"But...why would he lie? He's the one who raised me for so many years..."

"Is he scared?" Uesugi Yue said coldly.

"Fear?"

"He's afraid of being stripped of his position as patriarch. And since he's not from the Snake Eight Clan, he must be even more afraid of losing his position," Uesugi Yue said with a hint of sarcasm. "He needs someone from one of the three inner families to maintain the legitimacy of his rule."

"But this is obviously a lie that can be easily exposed?" Yuan Zhisheng's voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.

"Son, don't you understand yet? Why did Tachibana Masamune say all this when we were alone? Not only because he couldn't disclose his German identity, but also because he saw you as a pawn to be manipulated!"

There was anger in Uesugi Yue's tone.

"The easiest words to gain people's trust in this world aren't complete truths or lies, but rather nine truths and one lie! He just needs to tell you those nine truths and one lie, and if you believe them and forgive him, he can continue to sit on that supreme throne and control all of you without any cost!"

"If you think carefully about his first half of life, it's clear he was a wicked researcher who disregarded human life! He's still coveting the throne of the Shadow King... and yet he's telling you alone that he regrets his actions and has a change of heart? Can you believe that!?"

Yuan Zhisheng's body shook slightly, as if crushed by some invisible force.

After a long time, he finally made up his mind with pain and struggle.

----

It was afternoon, and sunlight filtered through the hospital's glass walls onto the waiting room floor, casting dappled shadows. The scent of disinfectant filled the air. Emiya sat alone on a bench in the waiting room, his fingers tapping unconsciously on his knees, his gaze occasionally darting toward the end of the corridor.

After parting with everyone, he came to this hospital.

Charlotte claimed that she was going back to her temporary magic studio to prepare something.

Although Eri sneaked out of the church's back door, she didn't follow Emiya into the hospital. When she heard that this was where Uesugi Kotsu often had his checkups and that there might be family members stationed there, she consciously avoided it. Emiya didn't say much about this, but simply nodded silently and told her to wait under the cherry tree at the corner of the street.

Emiya waited for a moment, bored, when he suddenly saw a man in a black suit and sunglasses walking quickly towards him, holding a document in his hand. His steps were steady and quick, and his leather shoes made a crisp sound on the floor.

"Mr. Emiya, the results are out." The man in black handed the document to Emiya with a respectful attitude.

"The paternity test was done so quickly?" Emiya took the test sheet with the paternity test results. His purpose in coming to the hospital was, of course, to get a paternity test with Uesugi Koshi. The hospital had a blood sample ready, so the sooner the results came, the less worry there would be in the future, as he might have to worry about the old man going crazy again.

"Because the young master specifically ordered it," the man in black adjusted his sunglasses.

"So the family requested that the hospital prioritize Mr. Emiya's case, eliminating the waiting line. Results used to take 24 hours to come back, and if the lab was overloaded, the sample type was different, or if a genetic mutation required retesting, the results could be delayed... but now they're available the same day."

The man in black spat out a string of words as quickly as machine gun bullets. After he finished speaking, he bowed slightly with a serious expression, "Excuse me, Mr. Emiya, are you satisfied?"

He asked this question in a serious tone, as if if Emiya gave the order "If you're not satisfied, do it again!", he would rush back to the laboratory, fire those staff members and replace them with a new group to start over.

"Satisfied, don't bow yet."

Emiya waved his hand helplessly, noticing the attention gradually drawn to him. He quickly dismissed the man in black, then stood up and walked out of the hospital.

When he walked out of the hospital gate, he opened the paternity test form. His eyes lingered on the result of "no family relationship" for a moment, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

He picked up his cell phone and started taking pictures of both sides of the paper, capturing the result of "no relative".

Then he edited a message with a bit of cunning and gave the old man a deceptive title - "Good news! Very good news!". After that, he sent it to Uesugi Yue's mobile phone together with the photo.

Originally, this Yue master, who lived in the last century, was a genuine antique, not even owning a mobile device. However, during the conversation in the church, Yuan Zhisheng noticed this. The eldest son felt that this was inconvenient and unworkable, so he quickly contacted someone to arrange a new Razr V3 for his biological father.

After sending the text, Emiya went to pick up Eri, and the two of them ran back home. Eri skipped into the bathroom as usual, while Emiya sat on the sofa in the living room, frowning slightly, thinking about the current situation.

Although his next plan was to investigate the situation in the mirror world, he had a question: why was Charlotte pulled into the mirror world last night? Was it because she summoned a servant and attracted the attention of the shadow?

However, when Genji Chisei was in the church, he said that when he summoned Watanabe Tsuna inside Genji Heavy Industries, he never caused such a phenomenon.

Emiya thought this must be related to the earth's vein environment.

As long as the Holy Grail War is held, the city and land where the Greater Holy Grail is located can allow the Master to summon Heroic Spirits, and it doesn't even matter whether there is a summoning circle or not.

However, different geographical locations will definitely mean different distances from the underground dragon veins, which may be one of the key factors in finding the entrance to the mirror world.

He decided to call Kazama Ruri, Su Enxi, and the others to see if they had noticed anything unusual during the summoning period. Kazama Ruri answered the phone quickly, replying with a curt "No." Emiya thanked him, hung up, and then dialed Su Enxi's number.

However, just as Emiya heard the ringtone on the other end being turned off, noisy sounds of water and exclamations came out of the microphone.

"It's Master Emiya calling! Ahhhh, my hands are so slippery! I almost fell into the water--" Su Enxi's voice came from the microphone accompanied by the sound of splashing water, sounding flustered.

"Are you okay?" Emiya heard a chaotic noise, as if a washbasin and various objects were rolling into the water. He couldn't help but frowned after listening.

"Huh...it's okay, it's okay. I almost lost my grip on the phone and it fell into the water." Su Enxi breathed a sigh of relief, and the voice coming from the microphone carried a hint of relief.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Of course it's a hot spring bath. The Kuroishi Residence on the Izu Peninsula has its own top-notch hot spring! Mr. Emiya, are you coming? Now this is a women's bath only! When you come, it will be a mixed bath!" Su Enxi deliberately prolonged the last syllable, as if she was making a grand invitation.

"...Please! I don't have time to go to the Izu Peninsula right now. Let's make an appointment to come back after the Holy Grail War is over."

This is the Holy Grail War, serious! Who's going to pop champagne and go on a hot spring trip halfway through the Holy Grail War?

"Okay, okay, don't cheat when the time comes!"

Emiya rubbed his temples and agreed casually. He then briefly explained the unexpected situation he encountered when meeting Charlotte yesterday, and then asked Su Enxi if there was any abnormality when Zero summoned the princess. However, the latter's reaction made him laugh and cry.

"Of course there's no accident. Zero is the boss's sweetheart. Even if something happens to me, nothing will happen to her—No, how come Charlotte suddenly appears! Master Emiya, how could you have someone else behind my back?! Have you forgotten that our love is as strong as gold and as deep as the ocean?"

"Are you kidding me about Valentine's Day? We're allies, not boyfriend and girlfriend. How can there be a third party in an alliance?"

Chapter 187 Deal?

On the other hand, Eri was not immersed in her favorite bathing session as usual.

The bathroom was filled with warm steam, a hazy mist condensing into tiny droplets on the mirror, which slowly slid down. The bathtub was only half full, its surface as calm as a mirror, reflecting the dim light from the ceiling. Eri's slender body curled up in the water, her porcelain-white skin looming beneath the surface like a flawless piece of jade.

However, her gaze was fixed on her arm. Beneath the clear water, tiny, inky black veins were slowly rising from the subcutaneous layer of her skin, spreading across her skin like vines, leaving behind ugly lines.

Eiry's pupils shrank slightly, and a gloomy look gradually appeared in her eyes.

"You couldn't escape your fate of becoming a monster. How pitiful! You sincerely wanted to be a hero, you made a vow in your heart, and you even tried hard, but you still couldn't achieve your wish... I have to say, this world is really unfair, isn't it? 】

The shadow's whisper rang in Eri's ears. The voice was low and cold, as if it came from the abyss.

Eri's body stiffened slightly, her fingers unconsciously clenching around the edge of the tub. Her gaze slowly shifted towards the source of the sound, and she saw a dark figure gradually forming in the shadows beside the tub.

This time, the image of the black shadow was clearer than ever.

Its exterior was shrouded in a thick black aura, seemingly swallowing up the surrounding light. Long red hair cascaded over its shoulders, and it wore a red and white miko's robe, its sleeves fluttering in the wind. What unnerved Eri most was the uncanny resemblance of that face to her own.

Eri raised her arm, attempting to use her power to destroy the shadow. However, her palm merely dispelled a puff of air, and the shadow instantly recondensed like smoke, unaffected by the impact.

It was no use. The dark shadow seemed to have taken up residence in her heart, like her demon that could not be shaken off.

"Who are you?" Eri hesitated as she looked at the shadow's face.

The other person seemed to be able to hear Eri's inner thoughts. "Does it matter who I am? What matters is you. You're going to become a monster soon. In two days, you won't be able to hide your current state. In four days, if you don't receive treatment, you'll be on the verge of losing control."

"…" Eri remained silent, the light in her eyes beginning to dim.

She lowered her head, staring at her reflection in the water, and continued to think about the story Emiya had told her—the story of how Minamoto no Raikou, in order to achieve his transformation, overcame the ugly Gozen within him, and ultimately became a hero. Whenever she felt down, she couldn't stop thinking about this story.

It was because of the inspiration from that story that Eri was able to take the first step towards self-change. However, reality was teaching her a lesson:

Monsters are always monsters, the path to heroism is out of reach, and self-change is even more of an illusory castle in the sky. Occasional dreams are undoubtedly beautiful, but once you fall back into reality, they become bloody and bleak to the point of being unbearable to watch.

His eyes dropped dimly, and the black lines spreading bit by bit on his own body reflected in the water seemed to be announcing some irreversible fate.

【Trade?】

The shadow suddenly said to her.

What? Eri's eyes widened slightly as she saw the shadow give a sarcastic or mocking smile.

"Don't you really want to be a hero? ...Look at your ugly appearance, you don't want to be seen as a monster, right?"

The shadow's voice was gentle and concerned, as if every word was for her own good. However, the hoarse tone made her feel creepy, as if a cold snake's tongue was licking her ear.